Travel destination
Cape Town, the Garden Route and Kruger safaris. Straightforward for most travellers, with a few extras for game parks and longer stays.
South Africa ranges from Cape Town and the Garden Route to Kruger and the bushveld, and travel health depends on where you go. Hepatitis A and typhoid come up for most; malaria is limited to specific areas such as the north-east and Kruger in season. Yellow fever is not a risk but a certificate may be needed if arriving from a risk country.
South Africa spans Cape Town, the Garden Route, the Winelands and the Kruger bushveld, and travel health leans on which of those you are visiting.
Food-and-water illness is the common theme, with malaria limited to specific regions. Your pharmacist matches advice to your route at South London Clinic.
Vaccines
A starting point, not a prescription. What you actually need depends on where exactly you're going, what you'll be doing, how long for and what you've already had — a pharmacist confirms all of it at your appointment.
What to check before you fly
South Africa may require a yellow fever certificate from travellers arriving from a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission — including some stopovers. There is no yellow fever risk in South Africa itself. A record of polio vaccination may be required if you are staying longer than four weeks. We will check the current requirement for your dates. Entry requirements change — we confirm the current rules for your exact itinerary at your appointment.
Bites, risk and tablets
Malaria risk changes by region, altitude and season, and depends on exactly where you are going and when. We check the current TravelHealthPro country advice against your itinerary at your appointment, and talk you through bite avoidance and, where it is needed, antimalarial tablets.
Give yourself enough time
Ideally see us six to eight weeks before you travel, as some vaccines are given as a course over several weeks. A rabies course runs over about three to four weeks, so start that one early. Travelling sooner than that? Book anyway — there is usually still something worth doing.
Cape Town and the Garden Route are a very different picture from a Kruger safari or the low-veld in summer. Where you go and the season shape what you need, so the start is your itinerary at your South London Clinic consultation.
Hepatitis A and typhoid come up for most travellers because both spread through food and water; the NHS lists them among common travel recommendations. Hepatitis B and rabies come in for longer, rural or adventurous trips, and it is worth checking routine tetanus, diphtheria, polio and MMR cover.
Malaria in South Africa is limited to specific areas, mainly the north-east including the Kruger National Park and parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, and is seasonal. Much of the country, including Cape Town and the Garden Route, is malaria-free. The TravelHealthPro South Africa page sets out the detail, which we check against your route before recommending antimalarials or bite avoidance.
There is no yellow fever risk in South Africa itself, but a certificate can be required if you are arriving from or transiting a yellow-fever-risk country, so a multi-stop African itinerary needs checking.
Four to six weeks is usually enough, more if you need a course; a later booking is still useful.
Q: Do I need malaria tablets for South Africa?
A: Only for specific areas such as Kruger and the north-east in season; Cape Town and the Garden Route are malaria-free.
Q: Is there yellow fever in South Africa?
A: No, but a certificate may be required if you arrive from a risk country.
Q: Which vaccines for South Africa?
A: Hepatitis A and typhoid for most, plus hepatitis B and rabies for longer or rural trips.
Who you'll see
Superintendent Pharmacist & Independent Prescriber
Rafay has been a pharmacist for more than 12 years and runs the travel clinic at Hills Pharmacy. He'll go through where you're going, what you'll be doing and what you've already had, then explain in plain language what's worth having for your trip and what isn't.
GPhC registration 2240995
Hills Pharmacy, 99 Kennington Lane, Kennington, South London SE11 4HQ — GPhC premises 1093041 (Marlborough UK Limited)
Check on the GPhC registerOnly for specific areas, mainly the north-east including Kruger and parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, and it is seasonal. Cape Town and the Garden Route are malaria-free. Your pharmacist at South London Clinic checks your route.
No, but a certificate can be required if you are arriving from or transiting a yellow-fever-risk country, so multi-stop African trips need checking.
Hepatitis A and typhoid for most travellers, plus hepatitis B and rabies for longer, rural or adventurous trips, and a check of routine UK vaccines.
Four to six weeks is usually enough, or longer if you need a vaccine course. A later booking is still worthwhile.
Book a travel appointment and a pharmacist will go through your itinerary with you — where you're going, what you'll be doing and what you've already had — then tell you what's worth having and what isn't.
Vaccines and antimalarial tablets are prescription only medicines. Suitability is assessed at your consultation — nothing is sold or supplied without it.
Book an appointment
Appointments are with a pharmacist at Hills Pharmacy, 99 Kennington Lane — free parking nearby.
What to bring: a list of any medicines you take, and any records that are relevant to what you're coming in for.
Book an appointmentSouth London Clinic at Hills Pharmacy, 99 Kennington Lane, Kennington, South London, Lambeth, SE11 4HQ · Free parking nearby
Bookings for this clinic are taken by phone and email. Give us a call during opening hours and we'll go through the times that are free.
Opening hours
Appointments are subject to availability. If you are travelling, call as early as you can — some travel vaccines need a course started in advance.
Where to find us
The clinic is inside Hills Pharmacy on High Street. Come in through the shop and tell the counter you're here for an appointment.
Address
South London Travel Clinic at Hills Pharmacy99 Kennington LaneOpening hours
Clinic appointments run within these hours. Bank holiday hours can differ — please call before travelling in.
South London Travel Clinic at Hills Pharmacy, 99 Kennington Lane, Kennington, Lambeth, SE11 4HQ